Silence is golden... well uh, mostly..

Most of us have seen or rather heard, ABV in speech. His gaze fixed on the unseen and often closed, his rambling monologues were unevenly spaced out with sudden silences - that would keep all of us wondering that whether this was all part of his "Great Statesman Shining In India" act. In the latter part of his premiership, it turned out to be highly irritating - the affectations, the mannerisms, the poetry and mostly, keeping pace with his questionably undeep silences.

All of us have seen the Bengali Di-Di, the Protector of the Farmers, the Nemesis of our Bee-Bee in Writer's Building, in play. Her public personna of a street warrior complete with high pitched street dramas, the raucousness, the shrill haranguing lectures - if BeeBee could, he would Jim-Carreylike have a fun-time turning her ON and OFF in mid-flow.

And the least said about Bee-Bee's speeches - be it his native Bengali or be it English - the better. Neither gels with his outward shell, a white-haired quintessential gentleman in white, personna - and poor diction, poor grammar and not so poor choice of words, rarely makes a lecture hear-worthy. Buddhism is okay with us, but Lord, spare us from Buddha-isms'.

I have been often struck by the singular lack of silence in our everyday life - rarely does a moment exist which can claim to be absolutely silent- even the most silent night has a distant chirp of a cricket or the wayward sound of a grand-father's clock.

Raater belai elo jor,
Shara Shorirey kaapa kaapi,
Kokhoni sheet kokhono gham,
Ajantey vul boka boki;

Raater prohor bartey thakey,
Aamar chotfotani palla raakhey,
Kothakar kon boro ghorita – proti ghontai baajey,
Durer paarar sharomeyo daak – amaar kaaney na saajey;

Vor ratrey jor jai,
Klanto shorir aaram chai,
Nishfol proyash khojey baalisher o-baboharito kon,
Time-call a eshechey jol – protijogi purobashir prato-krira samapan;

Adho ghum – adho jaaga,
Chadortaakey aro ektu jaaptey thaka,
Baarey bela – ek chiltey jaanala diye mejhetey chok-chokey rod,
Proti beshir ekgheye oshofol reyaz – amaar nishfol krodh;

Raasta diye ghurey jai kaagazwala,
Odbhut awaz korey fere kono ojana feriwala,
Taro porey ashey banshi bajiye puro shovar gari,
Binidro ami chai nistobdhota – chari dikey shobder boroi bara-bari;

Bolechilo kobi “Dao phiriye oronyani, low e nogore,
Shobdojobdo ami – bujhi setai thik,
Anidro raat – shranto vor – ketechey amaar gune prohor;

Beshwad mukhey – aramora di kundolikrito chadorey,
Shobdokolpodrun theke mukti nei – amaader byasto shohorey;

Have you ever craved silence, like it was the last thing in the world, the last straw which could give you a new lease of Life?